SM, DICT-CAR to offer free digital skills training in Baguio

BAGUIO CITY — SM Supermalls and the Department of Information and Communications Technology-Cordillera Administrative Region (DICT-CAR) will provide free digital skills training for jobseekers and fresh graduates at SM City Baguio on July 18 as part of efforts to improve workforce readiness in an increasingly digital economy.

The three-hour information session, scheduled from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., will accommodate up to 100 participants on a first-come, first-served basis, SM Supermalls said.

The program, held alongside the company’s SM Job Fair initiative, will cover digital literacy and career preparation, information literacy and the government’s eGovPH application, as well as cybersecurity and cyber hygiene.

The initiative is being implemented in partnership with DICT-CAR’s Information and Communications Technology Literacy and Competency Development Bureau (ILCDB), which promotes digital literacy and workforce development across communities.

SM said the training reflects an expansion of its job fair program beyond employment matching by incorporating free skills development designed to help jobseekers meet changing workplace demands.

“Today’s workforce requires more than just job opportunities—it also requires continuous learning,” Joaquin San Agustin, executive vice president for marketing at SM Supermalls, said in a statement.

The company said the sessions aim to make digital competencies more accessible to Filipinos entering or re-entering the workforce.

Among those cited by SM as previous participants, Kahlil Brensy Servidad, a senior IT support specialist at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, said the free training offered practical knowledge in digital forensics and cybersecurity that could be applied in his work.

Certified public accountant Jose Giovanni G. Quitiongco of the Pasig City government said the training helped him relate cybersecurity concepts to financial auditing, while Information Technology student Resma Valerie Dela Cruz said learning from industry practitioners complemented classroom instruction.

Interested participants may register through a QR code posted on the official Facebook page of SM City Baguio.

Registration is encouraged because participation is limited to 100 slots, SM said.

SM Supermalls operates job fairs across its malls nationwide as part of its workforce development and community engagement programs.